New Confidence
by Chaos In Her Wake
Summary: In the first book, Katniss and Peeta think that Cato killed Thresh. However, they did not consider the possibility that Foxface was there when the hulking man from Eleven died. What really happened? T for Games violence. One-shot.


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hunger Games, or Peeta would have died, and Wiress would still be alive and married to Beetee. :)**

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><p>There are five of us left- District Twelve, Cato, Thresh, and me. The disgusting lovers from Twelve are holed up in a cave doing who-knows-what, but I've noticed parachutes coming to them several times. Thresh is still rustling around in his golden field, alive and unharmed. I am constantly on the move in the forest, and Cato is brooding over Clove's death in the Cornucopia, wearing the armor that was in his pack at the feast.<p>

When I woke up this morning, I discovered something more dangerous than my fellow tributes- all the edible plants from the forest had disappeared. I still have some bread and jerky leftovers in my life-giving pack, from the feast, but I know this won't last long. The Gamemakers must be trying to drive Cato, Thresh, and me into confrontation; Katniss and Peeta still have plenty of rich sponsors. I might as well try to take down another adversary today, while I still have strength. And life. I begin my silent trek to the golden horn.

I reach the border of the herbaceous trees just as the storm starts. I'm exhausted, and I manage to curl myself in a ball and smear mud into my bright hair before I fall into a deep sleep. I dream of caves, golden horns, and of the boy I killed- I think his name was Range- during the bloodbath. When I awake, it's still pouring, but I can see a dark figure through the sheets of water. I wriggle under a leafy breath and observe whatever is out there. This just happens to be Thresh, running straight in my direction with a boulder raised above his scowling face.

I brace myself for the seemingly inevitable impact and skull-crushing. I witnessed Clove's fate. Then the scrape of metal on stone smashes on my sensitive ears. I cautiously glance up to see Cato and thresh battling. At least that rock isn't intended for me. Cato has two swords, and Thresh has a small dagger and, of course, his deadly rock. Despite my status as a tribute, I watch the fight with bated breath as if I were a Capitol citizen with her painted eyes glued to the fancy television screen. Thresh shatters one of Cato's swords, and disarms Cato completely when he kicks his feet out from under his muscular body. Cato scrabbles for his sword, but Thresh pins him where he lays, his filthy hand just inches from the blade and Thresh's heavy foot on his chest. Both older boys, two eighteens to my fifteen, are covered with bruises, welts, and gashes, but Thresh prepares his stone to make the biggest mark yet. However, as he hefts the rock, his foot lifts a tiny bit and Cato scrambles free. He snatches his weapon and fearfully dashes into the trees as the boulder slams into the dust, making a crater. The dark-skinned man howls in frustration, and the adrenaline from their fight starts affecting me. Might as well go for this while I've got the courage!

So I charge, bursting out of my hiding place. I'm immediately drenched in the pouring rain and a rolling crash of thunder masks the rustling of leaves from my safe shrub haven. The Gamemakers really must hate us, not stopping the rain for a fight. I pull two knives (formerly Clove's) out of my belt and hurl one at Thresh. My reasoning that he couldn't be that much harder to hit than a barn proves facetious, and he whirls around when the dagger sails past him. He sneers when he sees me running at him full tilt.

I hunch over as I run, trying for a stab on the back of his knee, but he grabs my slender, pale wrist. I cry out as I hear something crack. The other knife falls to the mud. "Thought you would try to get me, District Five?" he snarls. He wraps his rock-hard fists around my throat, and I immediately forget the pain in my wrist. "Stupidity don't get you out of this arena, Fox Girl." If black spots weren't dancing in front of my eyes, I would consider using that epithet when I get home. It's much cooler (and certainly easier for my classmates to remember) than my real name, Vulpa Ruber. I feel my body begin to twitch, and my arm bumps against something hard in my jacket, making the pain in my wrist lance up my arm. It couldn't be what I think it is. Could it? I force my throbbing fingers to obey me and reach for the blade. I grab Clove's last knife and try to drive it into Thresh's ribs. But my arm twitches again and the knife doesn't go where I direct it.

THUNK. The thin blade embeds itself in Thresh's neck. His grip slackens and I collapse to the ground, coughing. I can already feel my throat bruising. The fuzzy black edges around my sight fade away and I look up in time to hear what sounds like a roll of thunder, but I know it as something else. Something a little more… sinister.

BOOM. A cannon fires, deep and rumbling. I just killed _Thresh_, all on my own! My confidence is immediately renewed. I carefully slip back into the trees, the rain fading even as I do. This irritates me to a great extent- you stop the rain just as I get out of it? I roll my silver eyes and smirk. I think I'll go after Katniss and 'Lover Boy' this time.

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><p><strong>Sorry it's so short, but please review! Thanks for reading!<strong>


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